Disentangling Students’ Dropout Intentions: The Role of Person-Environment Fit and Academic Motivation

Drawing on person-environment fit and self-determination theory, this study examined the relationships among person-environment (P-E) fit, autonomous motivation, and dropout intentions in a sample of university students. P-E fit refers to the perceived congruence between individuals' personal values and those shared within their environment, while autonomous motivation reflects engagement in academic activities driven more by intrinsic satisfaction and enjoyment. In particular, we conducted a cross-lagged panel study to disentangle the directionality of the associations between the study variables and indirect effects. We enrolled 161 students from a university social work program who voluntarily completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered twice, with a six-month interval between administrations. The results showed that increases over time in both P-E fit and autonomous motivation significantly reduced dropout intentions. Analyses also revealed that autonomous motivation at the beginning of the first semester predicted P-E fit at the end of the semester; in contrast, P-E fit did not predict subsequent autonomous motivation, indicating a unidirectional influence. An analysis of the indirect effect revealed that the initial levels of autonomous motivation reduced dropout intentions at the end of the semester, mediated by P-E fit. These findings highlight that autonomous motivation contributes to the internalization of degree program values, thereby reducing dropout intentions.